Genes Are Not Your Destiny
Researchers have identified links between certain genes, particularly the APOE4 gene, and the risk of developing Alzheimers, but not all with these genes will develop the disease. Genes that are deterministic, or those that directly cause Alzheimers and guarantee a person will develop the disease, are rare and account for only 1% or fewer cases.
What weve learned is that genes are not your destiny, Gleysteen said.
An inaugural center patient is Marjorie Gray, 36, whose father Bill was diagnosed with Alzheimers five years ago when he was 64. Gray was concerned about her potential for getting the disease: an aunt and both paternal grandparents and their siblings also had Alzheimers.
I suddenly was faced with my own mortality of what could happen, Gray said.
However, that feeling has changed after her initial April appointments at the center, two in-person, and one virtually. Gray, a manager at Google, added cognitive exercises, such as The New York Times Sunday crossword puzzle and relearning Spanish, and diet changes, including cutting out meat and dairy, to help lower her risk of developing Alzheimers.
I finally felt like at least Im trying, Gray said. At least Im doing something.
Its really a bigger play here. How empowering, how amazing, how gratifying to think that we could be avoiding this disease and preventing it rather than having to deal with the consequences, Gleysteen said.
Womens Alzheimers Movement At Cleveland Clinic Announces Research Grant Recipients
Makaila Haislip
This June, in light of Alzheimers and Brain Awareness Month, the Womens Alzheimers Movement at Cleveland Clinic has revealed the five recipients of the 2021 WAM research grants, seed funding for new women-based Alzheimers disease research studies being conducted over the next two years .
The five endorsed programs intend to conduct studies aimed at discovering what causes the disproportionate effect Alzheimers disease has on women and communities of color, further advancing WAM at Cleveland Clinics mission. This declaration follows the Womens Alzheimers Movements recent partnership with Cleveland Clinic in February, establishing WAM at Cleveland Clinic.
The expansive research programs selected each aspire to answer two pivotal questions: why Alzheimers disease disproportionately affects women and what measures can be taken to reduce womens risk of developing the disease. With the addition of these recent grants, WAM at Cleveland Clinic increases its amount of allocated funding to $4.25 million, supporting 40 studies at 17 outstanding institutions, and positions its grant recipients to earn $83 million more in additional government and foundation financing.
The 2021 grant recipients all of leading medical institutions include:
Who Are We And What Do We Do
The Womens Alzheimers Movement Prevention Center at Cleveland Clinic is a one of a kind medical clinic in Las Vegas that offers the nations first women-specific center for clinical Alzheimers disease prevention.
We offer women with a family history or genetic risk of Alzheimers disease a comprehensive online, lab-based, and in-person assessment of Alzheimers risk, and personalized lifestyle recommendations from a medical doctor and a psychologist with advanced training in Alzheimers disease.
We also offer optional diet and exercise classes, designed to support life change and make it sustainable in the real world.
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Jessica Caldwell Phd Abpp/cn
Director, Womens Alzheimers Movement Prevention Center at Cleveland ClinicDirector of Clinical Training in Neuropsychology
Dr. Caldwell earned her A.B. with highest honors in psychology at Princeton University, and her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology with a minor in neuroscience at the University of Wisconsin at Madison. She completed predoctoral internship at Harvard University/Massachusetts General Hospital and postdoctoral fellowship in neuropsychology and neuroimaging at Brown University.
You Are A Neuropsychologist With Expertise In Brain Health Memory Aging And Womens Risks For Alzheimers Disease Break That Down For Me
I am a neuropsychologist. A part of my work is studying the brainwhether thats problems with attention or speed or studying Alzheimers. We examine what a patients thinking looks like and whether or not it matches up with signs of Alzheimers.
With The Womens Alzheimers Prevention Center, I am meeting with women who are at risk of Alzheimers and helping them understand the risk factors. Then, in the final part of my week, I do research. We know that women make up about two-thirds of people who have Alzheimers right now, but we dont know why that is.
We know that women make up about two-thirds of people who have Alzheimers, but we dont know why that is.
I look at MRI scans to examine brain structure. I study how mens and womens brains are different and how that might lead them to be at greater risk for Alzheimers. Clinical Alzheimers prevention and research on prevention is where I spend most of my time.
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You Run The Womens Alzheimers Movement Prevention Center At Cleveland Clinic The First Alzheimers Prevention Clinic Designed Just For Women What Is The Personal Significance Of This Position For You
Not only do I feel like I am playing an important role in potentially helping women reduce their risk, but I also come at this from a womens-disparities-in-the-medical-system standpoint. Its widely known that women often dont receive the same medical care as men and dont feel as heard by doctors as men do.
Women often dont receive the same medical care as men and dont feel as heard by doctors as men do.
I am passionate about women being involved in their health journeys. Helping women gain access to awareness about brain health and Alzheimers and running a program like this allows me to do that. Plus, all of our staff are women! So helping women is something we are particularly passionate about.
Interested In Alzheimers Prevention
Prevention is our goal, too, and risk reduction is our approach.
If you are a woman age 30-60 with a known family history of Alzheimers or genetic risks, follow at the Womens Alzheimers Movement Prevention Center at Cleveland Clinic in Las Vegas, Nevada:
Our Clinic is in high demand.Sign-up for our Waitlist today!
If everyone currently on our waitlist chooses to move forward with the next available appointments, our clinic will be full for the remainder of 2022. Nonetheless, your best chance for securing the first available appointment thereafter is to join our waitlist today. If you would like to join the waitlist at this time, please complete our online survey now .
We apologize for the lack of availability today and are committed to serving more women in the future. We rely on philanthropy to expand our program and make it sustainable.
Please go to our link below now at any time with questions.
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The Womens Alzheimers Movement Prevention Center Launches At Cleveland Clinic
The Womens Alzheimers Movement, in association with the Cleveland Clinic, is proud to announce the launch of The Womens Alzheimers Movement Prevention Center at Cleveland Clinic the first Alzheimers prevention clinic designed just for women.
The Womens Alzheimers Prevention Center is the first medical clinic in the nation to offer a women-specific center for Alzheimers disease prevention, research and caregiving support. Maria Shriver, founder of WAM, is the visionary behind The Womens Alzheimers Prevention Center, which is located within Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health in Las Vegas, Nev.
We know that two out of three brains that develop Alzheimers belong to women, but we dont know why. Given there is no cure for this devastating disease, prevention is our best hope to reduce the physical, social and financial hardships brought on by Alzheimers to families around the world, especially in communities of color, where the risk for Alzheimers is sometimes double that for whites, said Maria Shriver, founder of The Womens Alzheimers Movement. Ive been talking for years about a medical facility tailored specifically to the needs of women who want to reduce their risk for Alzheimers, and am so proud that my friend Larry Ruvo and his renowned clinic stepped up to partner with WAM to make this first one a reality. Our goal is to lay out a medical path to a future that isnt pre-ordained to include Alzheimers.
Aging And Your Brain: What’s Normal What’s Not
Experts share secrets to staying sharp.
- Moderator: Tara Narula, M.D., FACC, Assistant Professor, Cardiology Zucker School of Medicine Associate Director, Lenox Hill Women’s Heart Programs and CBS News Senior Medical Correspondent
- Jessica Caldwell, Ph.D., Director, Women’s Alzheimer’s Movement Prevention, Center at Cleveland Clinic
- Gayatri Devi, M.D., M.S., FAAN, FACP, Neurologist, Park Avenue Neurology
- Eseosa Ighodaro, M.D, Ph.D., Neurology Resident Physician and Neuroscientist, Mayo Clinic
Watch the video!
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The Future Of Brain Health: Promising Advances In Medicine And Technology
Innovations in science, changes in policy, and how you can make a difference.
- Moderator: John Whyte, M.D., MPH, Chief Medical Officer, WebMD
- Sandra Bond Chapman, Ph.D., Center for Brain Health Distinguished Professor, School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, The University of Texas at Dallas
- Richard S. Isaacson, M.D., Director of the Alzheimer’s Prevention Clinic , Weill Cornell Memory Disorders Program, Assistant Dean of Faculty Development, and Associate Professor of Neurology at Weill Cornell Medicine & New York-Presbyterian
- Karyne Jones, President and CEO, National Caucus and Center on Black Aging
Watch the video!
Collaboration To Advance Gender
Cleveland Clinic and Maria Shriver, founder of The Womens Alzheimers Movement , announced a ground-breaking partnership today aimed at further addressing and reducing womens risk for Alzheimers disease: The Womens Alzheimers Movement at Cleveland Clinic .
As the preeminent organization for women and Alzheimers, WAM will now formally join Cleveland Clinic, combining the non-profits extensive educational, advocacy and fundraising experience around womens risk for Alzheimers disease and prevention with the health systems vast medical expertise and robust research network. WAM has been a leading advocate and funder of gender-based Alzheimers research since first reporting in 2010 that the disease has a disproportionate impact on women.
Larry Ruvo and Maria Shriver.
This partnership builds on an existing successful collaboration between WAM and Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health in Las Vegas, which opened the nations first Alzheimers disease prevention center for women in June 2020. WAM at Cleveland Clinic will continue working on the long-term sustainability and growth of the prevention center, while expanding its mission to include all neurological diseases that affect women. In addition to her role as Founder of WAM, Shriver will now serve Cleveland Clinic as a Strategic Partner for Womens Health and Alzheimers.
About Cleveland Clinic
About Womens Alzheimers Movement at Cleveland Clinic
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What Advice Would You Give To A Young Woman Interested In Pursuing The Medical Field
For the woman interested in pursuing a career in clinical psychology or research, just explore all of those topics in college. See what really speaks to you. They are such broad fields, and it gets even broader if you include medicine in that mix.
Also, know that when you choose a graduate or medical program, thats not the rest of your career. You can always take that knowledge and apply it to something else. Just make sure its something you can do for five or seven years. You never know where your career might take you after that.
York Region Childrens Aid Society Is Non
York Region Childrens Aid Society strives to ensure the safety and well-being of the communitys children and youth, with a focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion. Through culturally-competent services, with the support of the community, we help parents and caregivers build healthy families and provide a safe environment for children and youth.
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Half Of Primary Physicians Say Us Is Unprepared For Growing Alzheimers Demands
A similar clinic for all at risk of Alzheimers, the Alzheimers Prevention Clinic at Weill Cornell Medicine and NewYork-Presbyterian, was opened in 2013 by Richard Isaacson, MD. The WAM center, however, specializes in coaching women, ages 30 to 60, in addressing specific risk factors for Alzheimers.
Shriver, appearing on a recent Today Show segment, highlighted research that shows that 40% of dementia cases could be prevented or delayed by 12 potentially modifiable risk factors, including changes in lifestyle habits such as diet, exercise, alcohol consumption, smoking, and low social contact. Other factors include education level, air quality, traumatic brain injury, and depression.
For most people, its a really complicated dance between all these other factors, Sandy Gleysteen, executive producer of content, program, and special projects for WAM, said in a phone interview with Alzheimers News Today.
And for people with a family member with Alzheimers, the risk for developing the disease can go up anywhere between 20% and 25%, according to Jessica Caldwell, PhD, director of the WAM Prevention Center.
Navigatinga Dementia Diagnosis: What Comes Next
Thoughtful guidance for you and your family so you can cope with any possibility.
- Moderator: Joan Lunden, Journalist, Best Selling Author and Health & Wellness Advocate
- Dan Jaworski, athlete living with early-onset Alzheimer’s
- Sarah Kremen, M.D., Behavioral Neurologist and Director of the Neurobehavior Program at the Jona Goldrich Center for Alzheimer’s and Memory Disorders at Cedar-Sinai Medical Center
- Petra Niles, M.S.G, Gerontologist and Senior Manager of African American Services at Alzheimer’s Los Angeles
Watch the video!
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A New Approach To Alzheimer’s Disease Management
Alzheimer’s disease doesn’t just affect the patient it affects the entire family. The Alzheimer’s Prevention Clinic at Weill Cornell Medicine and NewYork-Presbyterian was founded in 2013 by Dr. Richard Isaacson, who has several family members affected.
The clinic focuses on cutting-edge prevention strategies & comprehensive education for the whole family. To schedule a visit call 746-0226 or email .
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Alzheimers Disease Impacts Women Disproportionately Even More So Women Of Color How Do These Realities Inform Your Work And Why You Do What You Do
The reality that Alzheimers affects more women of color is always in the back of my mind. I am always tracking who is coming to my clinic. For Black women, the risk is about twice as for white women. It is important that the people we serve are the people suffering from these diseases. We have to make sure our service is something that people know about, not just white women.
We have to make sure our service is something that people know about, not just white women.
In decades past, women werent really discussed in terms of Alzheimers disease. In the present day, if we dont include women of color, itll be the same problem as decades past when we excluded women from the conversation. I am lucky that we have a great Community Advisory Board here from one of our other research studies to get the word out more in communities of color and bring this message of awareness.
Another important thing we do is give out questionnaires to patients. It is important for us to know whether or not what we are doing is hitting the mark and if patients are able to use the recommendations we give them. Access to Alzheimers disease resources could vary based on race, ethnicity or socioeconomic status. I want to make sure that this carewhat we are doing at the clinicworks for people.
Womens Health Month: Women And Alzheimers Disease
In honor of Womens Health Month, Dr. Jessica Caldwell joins the podcast to discuss sex differences in aging and Alzheimers disease. She explains some of the ways women experience aging and Alzheimers disease differently than men and how she incorporates research findings into patient care.
Guest: Jessica Caldwell, PhD, director, Womens Alzheimers Movement Prevention Center, Cleveland Clinic in Las Vegas, assistant professor, Case Western Reserve University
Episode Topics
2:59 What are the sex differences in experiencing normal aging and in experiencing Alzheimers disease?
7:33 Why are women more affected by Alzheimers disease than men?
10:03 Are there other theories that have been speculated but arent true regarding the differences between men and women aging?
23:18 What type of prevention approaches do you discuss in your clinic?
Show Notes
The Womens Alzheimers Movement Prevention Center at Cleveland Clinic in Las Vegas is the worlds first Alzheimers prevention center exclusively for women. Learn more at their website.
Read the referenced studies by Dr. Caldwell on differences in brain health across sexes through the National Library of Medicines website, specifically the 2021 study on tau protein differences, the 2018 study on amyloid level differences, and the 2022 study on cortical thickness differences.
The Alzheimers Association has a womens and Alzheimers webpage to learn more.
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Growing Up What Did You Imagine You Would Be
I think I wanted to be a writer. I was always a reader from a young age.
Even though that didnt turn out to be my career, it did turn out to be a part of what I do. Whether its writing a recommendation or a medical evaluation for a patient or writing research studies, a lot of my work involves writing. In school, I studied creative writing and psychology. So I have always had a dual interest.